42" Pompeii Build in Boca

[rlodad]

Re: 42" Pompeii Build in Boca

Doug,

BTW, brilliant minds think alike. We both bolstered our stands with an extra middle stand of blocks...

G'Day

(Is that right)?

Brad

[rlodad]

Re: 42" Pompeii Build in Boca

OK, back to post more. One statement to start: I posted before that Perlcrete is my least favorite substance on earth. It is now #2. Stucco is #1. We'll get to stucco pictures later, but suffice it to say, I hate the stuff.

So I laid the herringbone pattern firebrick floor on the sand fireclay mix (despite the fact I didn't take a picture of it when it was done properly), and it was time for the soldier course. I wanted a 19" dome, and so thought the best method was a half height soldier course. I am lazy, so I didn't cut the brick tops. Seemed to work well in my dome layout.

After the soldier course, did the inner arch. Thought the dome would be the hardest part, but actually the dome was relatively easy except for the attachments to the inner arch. Even that wasn't too hard. Seems everybody sweats taking out the arch form, thinking the arch is going to collapse. I wouldn't sweat it. I am terrible at this and mine has survived many oven firings. Just give the arch a day or two before pulling the form. Later addition: pics of 6th course with the world's most lame hendo gauge and clamp. Sorry again Hendo!

[rlodad]

Re: 42" Pompeii Build in Boca

The arch stands! The initial courses are easy, but slow, so just plod along and get it done. I found a source of inspiration (there are lots of sources of perspiration) to be my lonely basil plant. It just sat there looking for a superb pizza to donate to. I had to get the oven done! Again, thanks to Hendo for helping me keep those bricks up at the top of the dome. Gravity is not your friend there! As 1,000,000 others have said, cover the floor of the oven when mortaring the dome, and keep the inner dome clean as you go- it is easy to clean when soft, hard to get the excess mortar off with a grinder!

[rlodad]

Re: 42" Pompeii Build in Boca

Next up- finish the dome. This was surprising to me. I thought the top courses, despite having fewer bricks, would take forever. I was wrong. It seems you go from course 10 to done in 20 minutes. Satisfying, except that you realize you can no longer clean from the outside! All the pics of climbing in the oven are cute. Climbing in the oven stinks for adults!!!!!

[rlodad]

Re: 42" Pompeii Build in Boca

Climbing in the dome stinks for adults. For kids, what could be more fun? James said somewhere he wanted kid pics, so here they are. My 15 Y.O. was out of town so only the 3 little piggies are in the pics. Pics of me in the oven? Not on your life!

[rlodad]

Re: 42" Pompeii Build in Boca

Getting closer! Next, finish the arch and flue base. Lots of grinding to get a smooth entry to the chimney, otherwise straight forward. Added more arch and arch form pics.

[rlodad]

Re: 42" Pompeii Build in Boca

Finally finished the dome. Others have made elaborate multi-angled dome keystones. I am neither that skilled, nor that willing to wait for pizza. I finished up the final courses, and found myself left with a cone shaped hole. Took out the grinder, got the final brick's end to fit in the hole, and filled in the periphery with wedge shaped firebrick scraps and Heatstop. Used Pilates ball, worked like a charm!

[rlodad]

Re: 42" Pompeii Build in Boca

Now comes another decision I made only because it made sense to me, but I am not sure it was correct. I decided to begin the curing fires without any insulation, just bare bricks. Why? My feeling (caution, I am not an engineer!!!!) is that if you want to get water out of your bricks and heatstop, why push the steam into your insulation? I figured that if I got the bricks and heatstop mostly cured, when I put on the insulation, it wouldn't need as long to dry out- especially the Perlcrete. I put on 3 x 1" ceramic blanket and 5" of Perlcrete over that. There are opinions for both methods on the site, and frankly I am not sure if either is correct. My oven is done, and the curing went well, so it seems to have worked.

[rlodad]

Re: 42" Pompeii Build in Boca

Curing fires... Sorry about the piano shot, I figured if my masonry doesn't look out of place behind a YAMAHA Baby grand piano, I am probably doing all right. The last pic is the dome FINALLY!!!! turning white again. For me the hardest part about getting the oven to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit wasn't time in curing or fire time, but wood. I have lots of Mahogany and Live Oak that came down during hurricane Wilma. The Mahogany burns very cool, with lots of smoke. The Live Oak burns much hotter, and for much longer. I could never get the oven above 600 degrees with Mahogany, it was easy with the oak. I loved seeing the black smoke residue burn off- I got my old beautiful dome back! Also, didn't see any cracks to dome or arch before putting on the insulation. I have no idea why...

[lwood]

Re: 42" Pompeii Build in Boca

Are you still curing the oven? If so, I wouldn't get the oven up to 1,000F. That's way too hot for a curing fire.

[chidding]

Re: 42" Pompeii Build in Boca

Good to see im not the only one who accidently lined up a few brick joins together!

Looks awesome! cant wait to see the final product! keep posting them pics!

[rlodad]

Re: 42" Pompeii Build in Boca

I am finished curing the oven. I cured it over two weeks, and then could not get it over about 700 degrees at the dome even with a long roaring fire. I switched to the Live Oak, and the fire was much hotter and the dome cleared almost to the soldier course (see pic). The oven is done (I am going to post more pics when time allows), except for finishing up the stucco (surface bonding cement with acrylic fortifier) on the dome. We have done pizza, bread, steaks and chicken and all is great except I still need to work out the kinks in the pizza dough. Great father's day, got this jointed cherry cube with pics of my kids and a note engraved in the top! Even just for this the oven was worth the work!

[rlodad]

Re: 42" Pompeii Build in Boca

In terms of the lining up of the joints, I am very dedicated, but when you are moving fast, I can't see how anybody doesn't "catch up" on the brick joints as the courses get smaller and overlap one or two at least. I think most cracking is from aligning multiple vertical joints (>2), and using too little mortar or curing improperly. I see pics on the site with bricks placed having huge gaps in the mortar, which can't be good for external cracking. Also, I'm not sure outside cracks are all that important. If I saw one on a joint on the INSIDE of the dome, I'd worry. But don't worry- make pizza! Thanks for the comment, I thought I was so boring and the post so repetitive that nobody was even lurking! :^)

[chidding]

Re: 42" Pompeii Build in Boca

Im pretty sure ive worn out my F5 button wiating on more pictures, really liked the setup.

Im about 2months from finished so hoping i get make some big progress soon! Such an enjoyable process though!.

[rlodad]

Re: 42" Pompeii Build in Boca

Ask questions if you need to, most think we are the only ones wondering how to do things at different stages, when most builders probably were worried about the same subject and afraid to ask. We in the US will answer, but probably when you "upside down" people are asleep, so give it 10-12 hours for the answer. OTOH, with 4 kids, my free time is midnight when you are probably awake! When I post at that hour, I usually get answers from the Philippines, Guam, Japan, NZ and Australia. BTW, where did the OZ moniker for Australia come from?